The Adventures of Superwife

Sweet potatoes have officially won me over. They brought me flowers, took me out to dinner, pulled out my chair and paid the tab. Really though, they beat their white, starchy counter-parts in pretty much every nutritional category… not to mention impart a sweeter, more complex flavor.

Dinner tonight was a product of me looking in the fridge after a rather spendy trip to Costco, and thinking, “Wow. There are a lot of fresh veggies in here.” Naturally, the first thing I think of when needing to use a lot of veggies in a hurry is soup. I had actually picked up celery earlier in the week with the thought of making some sort of soup, as my soup base is always celery, onion and carrots…. and it’s the only reason I actually ever buy celery. I think it’s gross raw unless it’s smothered in peanut butter and I can alternate with apples.

I was feeling especially care-free with my soup tonight, so I basically threw some of everything in it. This recipe is all approximate, and feel free to do the same. I’ll include what I used, and just use that as a guideline (or not!). The seasoning was nothing more than two bullion cubes and some salt and pepper. Very basic, but I’ve actually got a second batch cooking on the stove, if that’s any indicator of the success of this dish!

Cream-of-whatever-you-have-on-hand Soup

1/2 an onion
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 cups chopped carrots
1/2 head of cauliflower
5 stalks broccolini
1 cup chopped sugar snap peas (in pod)
1 sweet potato, cubed
5 cups water
2 vegetable bullion cubes
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Sautee onions and celery on medium heat with the olive oil until starting to become translucent. Add other veggies as you chop them, and stir occasionally. Add about 1/2 a cup of water and cover, letting the veggies steam for a few minutes. Add remaining water, bullion cubes, and a pretty thorough amount of pepper. Let simmer for about 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Take about half of the chunks of veggies and throw them in a blender. Blend. Put it back in zee soup. Eat. Make a second batch because it’s that good.

I hadn’t done the blender thing before, and B said it really made the difference. The broth wasn’t just flavorful veggie water, it was creamy and full of flavor. Give it a try!